#wheelie

What? You didn’t know the Wheelie Championships are a thing? Of course it’s a thing, and it’s been so since 2006. Taking place in York, England, the event attracts competitors from all over the European continent, but also riders from the US. While it’s known for the wheelies, the event’s other component is a speed contest (not involving wheelies) over the 1km course.

This, boys and girls, is why you should always wear proper riding gear when you’re on a motorcycle. Remember, he wasn’t going terribly fast, and when you see his fingers dangling in the after crash footage, you’ll understand that off-road gloves won’t do you much good on pavement. Now, let’s consider his leg protection – which was nothing more than a smattering of youthful hair. At least he had the good sense to wear a helmet.

Whoever said, “you can buy fashion but you can’t buy style” has obviously never seen or ridden Yamaha’s all new 2018 XSR700 Sport Heritage. While this statement usually pertains to clothes, I don’t think it’s far off the mark when it comes to Yamaha’s new middleweight. The threads you wear and motorcycles you ride don’t have a lot in common, but one thing they do share is that they both allow you to express yourself and make a statement. Just about anything retro is “cool”, or in fashion these days, but what the wearer (or rider in this case) does with it ultimately evokes their style. The XSR700 makes it easy to do so on both fronts. Allow me to explain…

In this rush at the end of 2016 to sum up what it means for ourselves and motorcycling, while we simultaneously look ahead to all the potential that 2017 has to offer, we can get distracted from the moment all to easily. The concept of mindfulness has gained popularity in recent years among navel gazers (like myself) as a means of preventing the rush of information we live in from becoming overwhelming to our very souls. So, in this spirit, I offer this moment of unabashed moto-joy to savor for 37 seconds of bliss.

MOrons know how much we love Honda’s Grom. After all, we modified one and then raced it with comical-but-smile-inducing results. Well, YouTube user Maximilian has performed a stunt that would earn him an honorary degree from MO University, if it existed and actually handed our degrees.

Our choice for the best moto-Halloween costume of 2016. Happy Halloween, y’all!

Those who have read my words over the years understand my love for wheelies. I’ve been doing them on a bicycle since I was a kid, and I’ve been pulling them on motorcycles for decades. The physical sensations and the talent challenges of doing wheelies are simply irresistible to me. While impossible to accurately sum, I must be past the 10,000 mark by now.

Longtime MO readers know that we love wheelies. EiC Kevin Duke in particular is known for lifting the front wheel any chance he can get. But not even Duke can do what stunt rider Gary Rothwell has achieved: reach a speed of 209.8 mph on one wheel.

Trying to change your front tire but don’t have a stand to lift your bike? No problem! All you need are the proper tools, a truck, and a friend who’s really good at performing wheelies.

When you are the editor of a niche magazine, you look for every advantage you can get. I was the editor of Hot Bike, a V-Twin based publication focused on the very best that could be built out of Milwaukee’s most basic technology. At one point there were 14 monthly or bi-monthly titles all focused on V-Twins. Competition was fierce for the coolest bikes, the most interesting tech innovations and, since we all served one OE master, new bike exclusives were a massive accomplishment.

Okay, I admit it. I’m a wheelie-holic. I’d practice wheelies on my bicycle, but I’ve been absolutely addicted to them since discovering an engine’s anti-gravity effects on a dirt bike’s front tire when I was 12 and abusing my amazingly durable Suzuki DS80 on the Canadian prairie.